Picture-exhibitor.



. NITED STAT S I rena anion.

PICTURE-EXHIOBITOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 63 l,146, dated October 3, 1899.

Application filed June 20,1899. Serial No. 721,268. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GUsTAvUs MADDoX and JOSEPH MADDoX, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Picture-Exhibitors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to pictureexhibitors, and more particularly to one embodying the features of an easel, the object being to provide a cheap, simple, and ornamental means for holding or exhibiting and supporting a photograph or other picture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of easel or support adapted for use in connection with the picture-holder, said easel or support being of such construction as to coact as a picture-holder; and another object of the invention is to provide an easel or support of such construction as can be folded into a small space.

With this object in view our invention consists in the parts and combination of parts which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved picture-exhibitor set up as in use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the easel or support. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the picture holding plate or disk.

In the practical embodiment of our invention we employ a plate or disk A, having a picture-receiving recess B produced in the rear face thereof.

The plate or disk A is shown as constructed in the form of a star; but it will of course be understood that it may be made of any desired shape and ornamented in any desired manner. We also prefer to provide a magnifying-lens portion 0 over or in front of the picture which is held within the recess 13, so that the said picture is considerably magnified by means of such lens. In order to support the picture-holding plate or disk in the. proper position for exhibition, we employ an easel or support which is preferably constructed of wire and comprises an essentiallycircular body portion D, having the legs D formed integral therewith and a supportingleg E pivotally attached to the body portion, said body portion having a re'e'ntrant angular portion D to which the upper end of the supporting-leg is attached by means of suitable eyes E the base or foot of said support-' ing leg being broadened or expanded, as shown at E, in order to provide a broad base for the easel. As before stated, the body of the easel or support is essentially circular in shape and has a reentrant angle. This body portion is adapted to be placed into the pictore-receiving recess at the rear of the picture for the purpose of holding the said picture in place and also supporting the picture-holding disk or plate, and by providing the body portion with the reentrant angle the circle can be contracted sufficiently to be forced into the circular recess, and being constructed of spring-wire will readily expand, so as to bind tightly upon the sides of the recess and thereby make a firm connection between the support and the plate or disk. The leg of the easel being attached to the reentrant portion is spread slightly beyond the members of said reentrant portion, so that when the said leg is drawn back it will contact with the said rentrant portion and thereby limit the rearward movement'of the leg, and thus hold the device at the proper angle. The forward legs of the easel are so arranged that the rear leg or support can be drawn down between them, thereby enabling the entire device to be packed into a very small space. Whenever it is desired to remove a picture, the circular body portion is compressed, so that it can be readily removed from the pic tore-holding recess, and the picture can be then easily removed and another one substi= tuted, if so desired.

It will thus be seen that we provide an eX- ceedingly simple and. efficient construction of picture-exhibitor which will fully accomplish all of the objects for which it is intended. Having thus fully described our invention,

pivotally attached to the reentrant angular portion of the body, said leg being spread at its pivotal end, so that it willengage the body portion and be limited in its movement, sub- 15 stantially as shown and described.

GUSTAVUS MADDOX. I JOSEPH MADDOX.

\Vitnesses:

ROBERT C. RHODES, HENRY S. BRENINGTON. 

